Longford SFC: Sharp Dromard attack shoot Colmcille down

Dromard . . . 2-19 Colmcille . . . 1-18

While the sharp Dromard attack clocked up an emphatic winning tally in shooting Colmcille down in the Senior Football Championship quarter-final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday, the highly entertaining local derby developed into a tense and exciting finish.

Watched by a large attendance, the eagerly awaited clash between the neighbouring rivals certainly lived up to expectations as Dromard withstood a determined late comeback with Colmcille coming close to keeping their title hopes alive.

Francis McGee set up Matt Duffy for the opening goal in first half stoppage time to leave Niall Vance’s charges leading by 1-11 to 0-11 at the break with the main talking point the disallowed two-pointer free brilliantly converted by keeper Ollie Duffy but was ruled out for a breach in the 27th minute.

Up stepped Jack Macken to fire over the two-pointer free to leave the sides all square before Ollie’s brother Matt Duffy (back home from his AFL adventure) finished the ball to the net to make amends.

The second half was only a minute old when substitute Keelan Hudson got the vital touch from a Eoin Hawkins pass to score the equalising goal from close range but Dromard, inspired by a cracking two-pointer from the excellent Fionn Hourican, then stepped up another gear to enjoy a glorious dominant period.

Further scores from Matt Duffy, Aaron Farrell (his second two-pointer) and Ronan Corcoran extended the advantage before Jack Macken converted a free for Colmcille - their first score for 19 minutes.

Moments later Dromard struck the killer blow with a fisted goal from Duffy after he connected with a cross from Hourican and McGee shot over the bar soon after to leave his side in a commanding 9 point lead, 2-18 to 1-12.

Now facing what looked like an impossible task with just five minutes of normal time remaining, Colmcille battled it out to the bitter end and closed the gap with a score apiece from Sean Smith and Dylan McCabe and three more from substitute Luke Donnelly (1 two-pointer from play).

Keelan Hudson was then denied a second goal when he shot against the crossbar before Jack Macken fired over another free to leave just a goal separating the sides, 2-18 to 1-18, in the nerve wracking stoppage time.

Joseph Hagan lifted the pressure on Dromard when he landed a point in the fourth additional minute but they then had a very lucky escape when Colmcille substitute Gerard Mulligan somehow failed to find the back of the Dromard net with the gaping goals at his mercy.

That was the last chance for Ger Carberry’s side but it might have been a different story had they managed to take even one of their goal chances in the first half with the competent Dromard keeper Ollie Duffy making a couple of point-blank saves in the early stages of the game.

Colmcille defender Eoghan Williams was clean through in the 14th minute but his goal attempt drifted narrowly wide and while Dromard were the better team on the day, their defence will need to tighten up considerably for the tougher task in the semi-final against Clonguish at the end of September.

DROMARD: Ollie Duffy; Ruairi O’Toole, Oisin O’Toole, Conor McGauran; Ronan Bleakley (0-1), Dylan Vance, William McEntire; Daniel Conboy, Ronan Corcoran (0-1); Fionn Hourican (0-4, brace of two-pointers from play), Aaron Farrell (0-6, brace of two-pointers from play), Matt Duffy (2-1); Joseph Hagan (0-3), Francis McGee (0-3, 1 two-pointer from play), Cormac Mulligan.

Sub:- Bernard Sheridan for C Mulligan (47 mins).

COLMCILLE: Noel Farrell; Dylan McCabe (0-2), Eoghan Williams (0-1), Conor Grant; Ciaran McKeon (0-1), Vinny Hourican, Sean Smith (0-1); Aaron Smyth, Cathal Reilly; Eoin Hawkins (0-1), Cathal McCabe, Declan Reilly; Paul Farley, Jack Macken (0-8, brace of two-pointers from free and play, 4 frees), Barry McKeon (0-1, free).

Subs:- Keelan Hudson (1-0) for P Farley (half-time); Luke Donnelly (0-3, 1 two-pointer from play) for C McKeon (42 mins); Paul McKeon for E Hawkins (48 mins); Gerard Mulligan for A Smyth (55 mins); Philip McKeon for D Reilly (injured, third minute of stoppage time).

Referee: David Donohoe (Mullinalaghta St Columba’s).